CHAPTER 32
The article written in "The Quibbler" went out the next day. Ginny had to admit that Luna made a great job with it. The magazine wasn't very popular between the Hogwarts students but, once the word got out and the new gossip was around, everyone got one copy. It wasn't something Ginny was particularly pleased about, though, she knew that it would be an efficient way to generate doubts about Rita Skeeter's article and Theodore wouldn't get the freedom to act he wished for.
Emma and Thomas were taking it well, they were fine with being the school's main gossip. It wasn't really a surprise, Thomas had always been able to ignore everything around him with easiness and Emma was a really strong woman. Ginny, on the other hand, was uncomfortable. Her co-workers had known that she came to Hogwarts for protection but they were just finding out about the details. Ginny didn't want to see pity and compassion in their eyes, so she avoided them as much as possible, except, of course, for Neville and Harry.
During the next couple of weeks, thing became calmer and the gossip changed to a new one. Ginny felt uneasy. She hadn't received a single letter from Theodore; she thought he would send her one for sure after the article went out. It wasn't that she wanted a new threat but that it made her nervous to think that maybe this time her husband was planning something bigger.
Emma's birthday arrived the 15th of February. It was a Saturday, a Hogsmeade visit day, for students to celebrate Saint Valentines, which had been the day before. Since they couldn't risk themselves to leave the Castle, Harry had organised a little party at his room.
"This is so nice of you, Harry. Emma is really happy." Ginny told him while they watched their daughter opened her gifts, surrounded by her siblings, cousins, Teddy and Neville.
"She deserves this and much more. I owe her years of birthday parties, this is the least I can do"
"Harry, she knows the whole story, she doesn't feel like you owe her anything. She is grateful for what you are giving her now. We can change the past."
"I know… but I can't help feeling a bit guilty. I missed her whole life. I missed her first steps, her first word, the first time she ever flew a broomstick, I missed birthdays, Christmases, holidays. Everything."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have given up. I should have continued to look for you, even after Emma was born."
"I don't blame you, Ginny. You did search for me for a long time. I was angry at first but, now, I understand. I get that you wanted to live your life, to move on, to get married, to forget about me. I was the idiot. I shouldn't have left The Burrow like that. You all deserved some kind of explanation from me, a goodbye and you… you deserved so much more. I was despicable, we were that night together and I just left. You really must have hated me."
"I could never hate you, Harry, I tried. You're a difficult man to hate, Potter" Ginny told him with half a smile, making him laugh softly. "It hurt what you did, I'm not going to lie, it was a miserable and horrible moment in my life. Even so, I could never hate you, you saved my life and you gave me Emma."
"I'm sorry."
"I've already forgiven you a long time ago, Harry." She told him sincerely gazing his eyes with love, and squeeze his hand.
"Dad! This is amazing!" Emma interrupted them getting closer to Harry and hugging him. He had gifted her a pair of dragon scales gloves for Quidditch. Hers were already old and it was time to change them.
"Do you like them? You can change them if you want. The man at the shop told me they were the latest model, they are made of skin of Hungarian Horntails."
"I love them, I needed new ones. You fought against a Hungarian Horntail at the Triwizard Tournament, right?"
"I didn't exactly fight, I just simple eluded it to get the golden egg. They are one of the most aggressive and ferocious dragons that exist and really fast, just like a seeker should be." He ended winking her an eye.
"I suffer so much watching you at that trial! Charlie had told me about the dragons and the Horntail."
"Yeah? You never told me that."
"I was going to warn you about them but Hermione then told me Hagrid had already show them to you."
"I wasn't referring to that. That much you suffer for me?" he asked with a cocky smile. Ginny blushed and hit him lightly on the arm. Emma hided her laugh with her hands, it was funny to see her parents flirting.
"Every year!" Ginny admitted smiling at him. "You were some kind of magnet for troubles, Potter. Why do you think I dated Michael and Dean? It was too stressful to be in love with 'The Chosen One', my heart was always in my throat!"
"Then, why did you date me? It was the worst possible moment, Voldemort was already out there and you knew too well that he would be coming for me." Harry asked her, just now realising that it must have been horrible for Ginny to see the boy she loved being chased by some crazy psychopath killer.
"Because I love you." she simple replied. "I wanted to help you, to be by your side, I knew it wasn't a great moment to be dating. Although, it was also the perfect moment to show you that there was much more in life than war, death and Voldemort. I wanted you to feel loved by a woman and I wanted to be that woman but… well, I didn't succeed."
"What?! Of course you did! You were the reason why I continued fighting until the very end. You have no idea how difficult it was for me not to know a thing about you after we left Bill's wedding. Only hours later, when your dad sent us his Patronus, I could breathe again. And then, we spent so many months searching for the Horcruxes, the only thing that assured me that you were still alive was your dot in the Marauder's Map. When you arrived to Hogwarts for the last battle was the worst thing. I couldn't believe you were there. I wanted you safe at your aunt's home, but it was too much to ask for of Ginny Weasley. You were never one to stay with your arms folded while others did the work, a part of me was proud and happy to see you there. And then, when I went to the forest, I saw you half way there, helping a hurt student and I wanted you to stop me, to tell me to not go but, I continued my walk because you deserved a world without this evil in it. You were my last thought when Voldemort threw me the Avada Kedavra. And you were the reason why I chose to come back to finished what I'd started. I was tempted to go to my parents, Sirius, Remus and the rest of them but, I wished more for a life with you. Though, it clearly didn't happen. I hadn't taken into account how much it would pain to have lost so many, and all the trouble the war had left. I wasn't prepared for that. But, I want you to know, Gin, that you succeeded. I know that you loved me and I regret not showing you the same thing back then. I was always incredible bad at feelings. More than once Hermione told me so." He ended with a dejected smile.
"Fuck it! I'll say it, I love you! I really love you, Harry. I love you and I've been trying to ignore it and not say it. I can't believe I'm still so in love with you! It's like you are inside me and I can't think of anyone other than you, Harry Potter. You make me go crazy. I love you every minute of every day. And, did you have to be so great with my children? It's like you are making it impossible for me not to love you. I love you! Merlin, it feels so good to say it! I feel so much better. I love you, Harry!"
Ginny felt as if a huge weight had left her. So much time wasting her energy in trying to hide and ignore her obvious love for Harry, had left her exhausted. It was impossible not love him, he had always had a piece of her heart. And after hearing that confession she couldn't take it anymore. It was different to her it from him than from Hermione. Now she could see and understand his truth and his words. Harry had really loved her and she was ready to give him another chance.
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing, Ginny loved him. Finally, after so many years, he felt once again complete. This was what he had always wanted, what he had given up. He want's going to make that mistake again, this was for the rest of his life, he wasn't going to let her go. Harry was going to show Ginny that he was the one for her, that he loved her, he was going to give her everything he failed to back then, everything she deserved.
Without wasting another minute, their lips connected in such yearned kiss. It was passion, it was desperation, it was desire, it was promise, but above all, it was love. Harry and Ginny let their feelings free, those that they had kept safe for a long time. Every fibre of their bodies was exhilarated.
They would have continued their kiss for years if there wasn't for the catcalls and cheerful shouts of the other people in the room. They had completely forgotten that they were surrounded by a crowd.
"Wow, aunt Ginny! That has to be the best love declaration I've ever heard" Dominique commented while laughing happily at the couple.
"No doubts." Her sister agreed on.
"And you're not that far behind, Harry, what a speech!" Teddy added happy to see his godfather together with the person he loved.
"It took you long!" Neville congratulated them with a smile.
"Yes it did, mom, I was starting to think that you would never admit it." Thomas told his mother giving her a half hug. Emma also got closer. And that was when Haley finally reacted, she had been so shocked to see them kiss that she couldn't do more than watched them with hug opened eyes.
"YEEEEESSSSS!" she exclaimed and ran to Harry's arms. Once on top of him Haley started kissing him over his whole face while saying 'I love you' in between. Then she went to her mother and did the exact same thing. "Best day ever!"
"Best birthday ever." Emma said.
That night Ginny could sleep. She was glad she had taken off that weight from her back by admitting everything to Harry but, a part of her was still afraid. She trusted him and knew he wasn't going to hurt her again. It was just that another part of her felt that there was still a possibility for things to go the same way they did when they were young. She had to make thing clear to Harry.
That was why, at four in the morning, she found herself in front of his room's door. The famous wizard took a few minutes to open it, he had been sleeping. When he saw her, his face brightened with a smile, and then a worried expression took its place. It was never good news to have someone knocking on your door at fur a.m.
"Gin, what are you doing here? Did something happen?" he asked making her seat at the couch.
"No, I just wanted to talk to you… about us."
"You aren't breaking up with me before we even started dating, right?" he asked in confusion. That afternoon had been perfect and he had been sure that Ginny thought the same.
"No! I ust wanted to clarify some things."
"Yes?"
"First and foremost, I want you to know that this is our last chance. I won't put my heart out there again if this goes wrong, Harry. You'll always have a special place in my heart but I won't put myself at risk for you again, this is the last time for that."
"I won't need another chance, Ginny." He assured her by taking her hand.
"I really don't think you deserve it. I hated when you left with a little piece of me in you. The best piece I've ever given to anybody. But now you are here and I feel complete again. And I think I do deserve to be happy and that's why I'm choosing to be with you. You have always been the man who made me the happiest woman alive, even when we weren't together and I was just a silly little girl with a crush."
"And you have always been my woman. You also have a piece of me, Gin."
"Harry, I'm serious here. I'm going to give it my all to this relationship and I hope you do the same…I don't want to repeat the same mistakes as before."
"We won't. We both want this to work. I'm telling you the truth, Ginny, I'll be the man you need and deserve. I love you."
The security with which he said those words made all her fears disappear. That was the Harry she loved and she wasn't going to let him go. That was what she had always wished for. Many would think that it was stupid to get back together with an ex, but this wasn't a common situation, they never were if Harry Potter was involved.